Knitting-machine.



R. FISHER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1914.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. FISHER.-

KNITTING MACHINE. I

- APPLICATION FILED IULY 6.1914. 1,293,743., Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED. JULY 6.1914.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

FIG. W-

FIG. V.

- WITNESSES:

R. FISHER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1914- 1,293,743. Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

' 5 SHEETS SHEET 4- 9$; L L iv \g 13/ 'INVENTOR:

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R. FISHER.

- KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. I914.

Patented Feb-11, 1919*.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

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' WITNESSES;

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RAYMOND FISHER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO HEMPHILL MANUFACTURING I COMPANY, OF IPAW'IUCKET,RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND FISHER, a-

citizen of the United States, residing at Phil: adelphia, in the Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improve Myinvention maybe employed in co-nnection with any knitting machineadapted to reinforce a portion of the circumference'o-f a knit tube byincluding in that portion of the tube a thread which is not included inthe other portion of the circumference of the tube. Ordinarily suchreinforcing threads are floated throughout that portion of thecircumference of the knit tube in which they are not embedded, and thefloated portions of the threads are subsequently manually cut andremoved from the tube; thus not only necessitating the extra operationsof cutting and removing such threads but wasting all of the threads thusfloated.

Therefore, it is the object of my invention to obviate the necessity ofthe'extra operations and also prevent the waste of thread aforesaid,and, this object is attained by providing such a knitting machine withmechanism whereby the reinforcing thread is cut, in each course, at theend .of the arc throughout [\VlIICh it is embedded in the knit tube; Sothat no portion of said reinforcing thread is floated, from needle toneedle.

I have found it convenient to illustrate my invention in connection withthe Banner full automatic hosiery machine made under the Letters Patentof the United States granted to Hemphill, No. 933,443, of 1909, whereinthe needle cylinder is rotary and controlled by a pattern chain which isutilized to initiate and terminate the operation of my device as appliedto that machine. However, it is to be understood that I do not desire tolimit myself to such an embodiment of my invention.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

n said drawings; Figure I is an elevation of a full automatic hosierymachine, with an embodiment of my invention adapted to be controlled bythe pattern chain of said- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application filed. July 6, 1914. Serial No. 849,020.

machine, and including a special shear cam on the pattern shaft.

Fig. II is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of saidmachine,'showing the mechanism for actuating said pattern chain indefinite relation to the rotation of the needle cylinder.

Fig. III is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machineshowing the mechanism for actuating said shear cam.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary plan view of said machine.

. Fig. V is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machine, takenon the line V in Fig. IV.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machine takenon the line VI in Fig. IV. I

Said Figs. I to VI inclusive show said machine in position forcircularly knitting the leg portion of a hosiery tube, with my inventionin the inoperative position in which it is maintained except whenreinforced fabric is being knit.

Fig. VII is a fragmentary plan view of said machine showing my inventionin operative position. towhich it has been shifted by the operation ofsaid pattern chain.

Fig. VIII is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said machine takenon the line VIII in Fig. VII.

Fig. IX is a fragmentary elevation of the left hand side of said machineas shown in Fig. VII.

\ Fig X is a plan view of the hollow cylindriform shear member, which isthe stationary member of the shearing device shown in the precedingfigures.

Fig. XI is a front end view of sald stationary shear member which is thecutting blade of the shraring device.

Fig. XII is a perspective view of the movable cylindriform shear memberwhich is complementary. to said hollow shear member and arranged to fittherein, and is the dull member of the shearing device shown in thepreceding figures.

Fig. XIII is a fragmentary elevation to the same scale as Figs. IV to VIinclusive .but showing a modified form of shearing device wherein theposition of the shear members is reversed; a cylindriform dull matichosiery machine as are necessary to illustrate the application of myinvention to that machine, including the rotary needle 1 cylinder 1provided with needles 2 arranged to be operated by the cam cylinder 3,which is stationary on the machine frame 4. The main shaft 5 has, fastat its inner end, the bevel gear 6 engaging the bevel gear 7 on thelower end of said needle cylinder 1 as shown in Fig. IX. Said shaft 5carries onits central enlargement 8 the clutch 9 which turns with saidshaft but is keyed to slide thereon, when moved by the lever 12, so thatsaid shaft may be alternately driven by the gears 13 and 14, both ofwhich are normally loose on said shaft. Said gear 13 is fast on thesleeve 16 having on its outer end the usual tight and loose pulleys andan operating handle, and is the main driving gear. As shown in Fig. IIsaid main driving gear 13 engages the crank gear 17 having the radiallyadjustable crank pin 18 pivotally' connected by the link 19 with thestud 20 on the arm 21of the sec- 1 toral gear 23 which is mounted tooscillate on the shaft 24 in said frame 4, and engages said gear 14 onthe main shaft 5.

It is to be understood that the arrangement above described is such thatwhen said shaft 5. is engaged by the clutch 9 with the main driving gear13 they, and the needle cylinder 1, are continuously rotated, but

I when said shaft 5 is engaged by said clutch 9 with the gear 14 saidshaft 5 and the needle cylinder are merely oscillated, to the extentdetermined by the radial position of the crank pin 18.

The form of my invention herein described is only operative when saidshaft 5 is continuously rotated by engagement with said main drivinggear 13. However, it is to be understood that such arrangement is onlyincidental to-the embodiment of my invention in the particular hosierymachine illustrated, and that my invention may be i therwise constructedor arranged.

-'in definite relation to themovement of the needle cylinder regardlessof whether the tends loose through said chain ratchet wheel 28 isrotated, step by step, by the pawl 32, shown in Fig. III, which is alsocarried by said oscillatory sectoral gear 23. Said pawl 32intermittently engages the cam ratchet 33 which is fast on said shaft27, but said pawl is, normally upheld in the idle position, shown inFig. III, by the oscillatory pawl holder 34 which is so weighted that itnormally hangs in the position shown in Fig. III, but has the projection35 adapted to be encountered by the high links 36, 37, 38 and 39 whichare in the spaced relation on said chain 29 indicated in Fig. I. Saidlinks swing said pawl holder 34 to the right, with reference to Fig.III, and thus permit the cam pawl 32 to engage said cam ratchet wheel.It is to be noted that each of said :links 36 and 38 only causes thepawl 32 to engage said cam ratchet 33 during one movement of saidoscillatory gear 23 to the right, with reference to Fig. III, but as thelink 38 is higher than the link 36 it causes said pawl 32 to give agreater turning movement to said pattern'shaft 27. The high links 37 and39 on said pattern chain have steps at two different heights as shown sothat they cause said pawl 32 to engage said cam ratchet 33 du: ing twomovements of said oscillatory gear 23 toward the right in Fig. III. Saidmachine is so constructed and arranged as to knit a stocking tube of apattern represented by the total length of s'aidchain 29 and includingwhat is called a high splice" which is a remforced portion of said tubeextending above the heel, and represented by the portion of said chainbetween said high links 36 and 37; a heel represented by the portion ofsaid chain between said high links 37 and 38; a foot represented by theportion of said chain between said high links 38 and 39, and a toeandleg represented by the portion of said chain between said high links 39and 36. Of course, said chain 29, which controls all of the automaticoperation of said machine, includes numerous links other than the fourabove specified, but the other links are omitted because irrelevant tothe present invention. As hereinafter described the present invention isoperative only during those periods of the cycle of operation of themachine represented by the portion of the pattern chain between the highlinks 36 and 37 when the high splice reinforced knitting is done, andbetween the high links 38and 39, when the foot portion is knit with areinforced sole.

Said machine employs siX threads in its complete cycle of operation ofknitting hosiery tube, viz., one thread 41 for a garter top; two threads42, together, for the leg, orbody of the hose; two threads 43, together,for the heel and toe, and one thread 45 for reinforcing the high spliceand the sole.

Said six threads are shifted to and from operative relation with theneedles 2 by four- 1 rods 56 with respective drum levers 57, ful- All ofsaid threads are cut off, when they are to be idle, by the blade 67(shown .in Figs. IVand VI) fulcrumed at 68 on the bracket plate 70 inshearing relation with the edge thereof. Said blade is pivotallyconnected by the link 71 with the cutter lever 72 which is fulcrumed at73 and pivotally connected by the rod 75, the lever 76, and rod 78 withthe cutter cam lever 79 which is fulcrumed at 80 on said frame 4 andheld by the spring 81 in operative relation with the cutter cam 82fastened on the pattern shaft 27.

Said threads are also held, when thus cut, by the clamp lever 83 (shownin Figs. IV, V and VI) fulcrumed at 84 on said bracket plate 70 andnormally pressed downwardly, to clamp said threads, by the spring 85.Said clamp lever 83 is raised, to release the threads, by the arm 86 ofsaid link 71.

Said thread cutting and clamping operations are eflected in the propersequence to initiate and terminate the employment of said threads in thestocking tube, by the automatic operation of said pattern chain 29 andthe cams on the pattern shaft 27 above described. However, my inventionprovides special shearing mechanism for the reinforcstationary positionon said bearing plate 70 by the screw 91, as indicated in Fig. IV, andcotiperates with the movable cylindri form shear member 93 shown in Fig.XII which is without any cutting edge but is complementary to said shearmember 88 and arranged to fit in the cylindriform surface 90 thereof,and has its tip 94 so constructed and arranged as to guide said thread45 into proper position to be sheared bysaid members 88 and 93. Saidmovable shear member 93 is carried by the lever 96 which is fulcrumed inthe support 97 which is stationary on the bracket plate 70, within thecircle of needles 2. The arm 98 of said lever 96 is provided with thespring 99 tending to effect shearing movement thereof. Said shearingmovement is normally prevented by the stop lever 100 which bears uponsaid shear lever arm 98 and is fulcrumed at 101 on the support 102exterior to said needle cylinderl. Means arranged to trip said stoplever 100 and permit the operation of said shear lever 96, under thetension of said spring 99, include thetappet cam 104, shown in-dottedlines in Fig. IV, which is carried 'by said needle cylinder 1; beingadjustably secured to the sinker head 105 bythe screw 106 which extendsthrough the slot 107 in said cam. Said cam 104 is in operative relationwith the tappet lever 109 which is fulcrumed at 110 on the frame 4 andpivotally connected by the link 111 with one arm of the bell crank lever112 (best shown in Fig. IX) fulcrumed at 114 on said frame 4 andhavingits other arm pivotally connected with said stop lever 100, by the link115 having a stud 116 at its upper end ongaging. the slot 117 in saidlever 100 and supported for vertical reciprocation by the stud 119extending through the slot 120 in said link 115, in engagement with saidframe 4. It is to be understood that said link 115 121, carrying thethread guides and shearing mechanism above described, to be turnedoutwardly upon its pivot 122'in the frame 4 so as to afford free accessto the needle cylinder, and release the sinker head cap 124, themovement of which is normally restricted by said bracket 121 extendingbetween the set screws 125 on said cap.

It may be observed that the spring127 I which connects said link 111with the frame 4, as shown in Fig. IX normally'tends to shift saidtappet lever 109 into operative position with respect to said cam 104,but means are provided normally holdingsaid tappet lever out ofoperative position with respect to said cam 4, and in the inoperativepositionshown in Fig. IV, during all of the cycle of operation of saidmachine when the reinforcing thread 45 is not in use. Such means includethe slide bar 130 which is lever in operative relation with the shearcam 134 on said pattern shaft 27. Said shear cam has two projections,respectively corresponding with the two periods of operation of mydevice in the cycle of operation of said machine, and upon which saidshear lever 131 rides to lower the slide bar 130 from the position shownin Fig. VI to the position shown in Fig. IX; the latter correspondingwith the operative condition of my shearing mechanism, determined asabove describedby the movement of the pattern chain 29,-in definiterelation to the movement of the needles 2.

When said slide bar 130 isthus automatically lowered to render myshearingmechanism operative, saidspring 127 shifts the bell crank 112,and the parts connected there- .With, to the position shown in Fig. IX,thus bringing the tappet lever 109 into the path of the tappet cam 104and raising the stop lever 100 and. releasing the shear lever 96 so thatthe spring 99 of the latter snaps the shear member 93 into contact withthe shear member 88. Thereupon, the thread 45 being presented inoperative engagement with the needles by the downward movement of thethread guide 50, and the loose end of said thread being drawn from underthe clamp lever 83 said reinforcing thread 45 is embedded in the knitfabric tube 13.7 (indicated in Figs. VIII and XIV) at the point 138 and,said fabric being rotated with the needle cylinder 1 in the direction ofthe arrow shown in Fig. XIV, said thread.45 is embedded in said fabricthroughout that portion of the circumference of said tube comprised inthe'arc from said point- 138 to the point 140, when said thread 45emerges and is cut off by the automatic snap action of the shear member93; such action being effected by the cam 104, carried by the needlecylinder 1,, thrusting the tappet lever 109 outwardly to the positionshown in Fig. VII, thus lowering the stop lever 100 upon the arm 98 ofthe shear lever 96 and raising the latter until said cam 104 passes thefree end of said lever 109, when, said lever being thrust inwardly bythe spring 127, thestop lever 100 is again raised to release said shearlever 96 which is snapped by its spring 99' to cut the thread 45adjacent the point 140 as shown in Fig. XIV. When said shear member 93is thus made to cooperate with the shear member 88, it not only cutssaid thread 45 on the edge 89 of said member 88 but holds the end remotefrom the fabric 137 clamped between the cylindriform surfaces of saidshear members until the rotation of the needle cylinder again presentsthe point 138 in its circumference where the downward movement of thethread guide lever 50 for said reinforcing thread 45 reengagesthe latterwith the needles. Thereupon, it is-necessary to release the end of saidthread 45 clamped between the shear membersby thelast preceding shearingoperation, and this is effected by the releasing cam 142 which iscarried by the cylinder 1 diametrically opposite to the tappet earn 104and is similar to the latter but of less radial ex-. tent, so that itmerely separates the shear member 93 from the shear member 88sufficiently to release the end of'said thread 45. In order tofacilitate the manipulation of 'said thread 45 as above described I finditconvenient to direct it through eyelets in said stop lever 100 andshear lever 96 as indicated in Figs. IV to VIII inclusive.

Said reinforcing thread .45, is thus cut once during each of the coursesof knitting when my invention is operative, but such operation leavessaid thread 45 with two cut ends'emerging from said fabric 137 at shownin Fig. XIII the shear member 145,,

having the cutting edge 146, similar to the shear member 88 abovedescribed, is movable and carried by the shear lever 96, to and fromcooperative relation with the shear member 147 which is heldstationaryon the bracket plate 70, but is otherwise similar to the shear member 93above described, except that it has no thread guiding tip; such a tip149 being provided on the movable shear member 145, like't-he tip 94 ofsaid shear member 93.

The circumferential extent of the fabric 137 wherein said reinforcingthread 45 is embedded is, of course, determined by the sequence of themovements of the thread guide 50 which alternately lowers and raisessaid thread to and from operative relation with the needles 2 and, ofcourse, the axial extent of the reinforced portion of said fabric 137 isalso determined by the operation of said thread guide 50, under thedirect control of the elements carried by the pattern shaft andcooperative therewith as above described; the operation thereof beinginitiated and terminated by the move- -ment of the pattern chain 29.

However, such control is incidental tothe particular ploy the stoplever-100 in cooperation with the shear lever 96, without necessarilycontrolling said stop lever by the construction and arrangement abovedescribed. Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the preciseconstruction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious thatvarious modifications may be made therein without departing from myinvention as defined in the r appended claims.

I claim 1. in a circular knitting machine, the

. combination with a needle cylinder provided with needles; of a camcylinder arranged to operate said needles; a pattern shaft; thread guidecams on said pattern shaft; a shear cam on said pattern shaft; meansarranged to operate said cylinder and pattern shaft in definiterelation; movable thread guides, respectively for body thread andreinforcing thread, operatively connected with said guide cams; wherebya tube is knit from said body thread and said re inforcing thread isembedded in said tube for a portion of its circumference and withdrawnso as not to be embedded in said tube for the remainder of itscircumference; means arranged to out said reinforcing thread where itemerges from said tube, including a stationary shear member; a movableshear member, complementary to said other shear member; a shear levercarrying said movable shear member; a spring engaging said shear lever,tending to effect shearing movement thereof; a stop lever normallypreventing the shearing movement of said shear lever; means arranged totrip said stop lever and permit the operation of said shear lever,including a tappet cam carried by said needle cylinder and a tappetlever in operative relation with said cam; a spring normally tending toshift said tappet lever into operative relation with said tappet cam;means normally holding said tappet lever out of operative position, in-

cluding a slide bar; means arranged to shift said slide bar to and fromits operative position, including a, slide lever, and a spring holdingsaid slide lever in operative relation with said shear cam on saidpattern shaft.

2. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a needlecylinder provided with needles; of a cam cylinder arranged to operatesaid needles; thread guide cams; a shear cam; means arranged to operatesaid needles and cams in definite relation; movable thread guides,respectively vfor body thread and reinforcing thread, operativelyconnected with said guide cams; whereby a tube is knit from said bodythread and said reinforcing thread is embedded in said tube for aportlon of its circumference and Withdrawn so as not to be embedded insaid tube for the remainder of its circumference; means arranged to outsaid reinforcing thread where it emerges from said tube, including astationary shear member; a movable shear member, complementary to saidother'shear member; a shear lever carrying said movable shear member; aspring engaging said shear lever, tending to effect shearing movementthereof; a stop lever normally preventing the shearing movement of saidshear lever; means arranged to trip said stop lever and permit theoperation of said shear lever, including a tappet cam carried by saidneedle cylinder and a tappet lever in operative relation with said cam;a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever into operativerelation with said tappet cam; means normally holding said tappet leverout of operative position, including a slide bar; means arranged toshift said slide bar to and from its operative position, including aslide lever, and a spring holding said slide lever in operative relationwith said shear cam on said pattern shaft.

3. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a needlecylinder provided with needles; of a cam cylinder arranged to operatesaid needles; thread guide cams; a shear cam; means arranged to operatesaid needles and cams in definite relation; movable thread guides,respectively for body thread and reinforcing thread, operativelyconnected with said guide cams; whereby a tube is knit from said bodythread and said reinforcing thread is embedded in said tube for aportion of its circumference and withdrawn so as not to be embedded insaid tube for the remainder of its circumference; means arranged to outsaid reinforc ng thread, where it emerges from said tube, 1ncluding astationary shear member; a movable shear member, complementary to saidother shear member; a shear lever carrying said'movableshear member; aspring engaging said shear lever, tendlng to effect shearing movementthereof; a stop lever normally preventing the shearlng movement of saidshear lever; meansarranged to trip said stop lever and permit theoperation of said shear lever, including a tappet cam carried by saidneedle cylinder and a tappet lever in operative relation with said cam;a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever into operativerelation with said tappet cam; means normally holding said tappet leverout of operative position, including a slide bar; and

guides, respectively for body thread and reinforcing thread; and meansarranged to operate said needles and guides in definite relation;whereby a fabric is knit from said body thread and said reinforcingthread is embedded in said fabric for a portion of its extent andWithdrawn so as not to be embedded in said tube'for another portion ofits extent; means arranged to out said reinforcing thread Where itemerges from said fabric, including a stationary shear member; a movableshear member, complementary to said stationary shear member, a shearlever carrying said movable shear member, and a spring engaging saidshear lever, tending to effect shearingmovement thereof; a stop levernormally preventing the shearing movement of said shear lever; meansarranged to trip said stop lever and permit the operation of said shearlever, including a tappet cam and a tappet lever in operative relationwith said cam; a spring normally tending to shift said tappet lever intooperative relation With said tappet cam; means normally holding saidtappet lever out of operative position, including a slide bar; and meansarranged'to operate said cam bar in definit relation to the operation ofsaid needles.

5. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles; ofmovable thread guides, respectively for body thread andreinforcingthread; and means arranged to operate said needles and guides indefinite relation; whereby a fabric is knit from said body thread andsaid reinforcing thread is embedded in said fabric for a portion of itsextent and Withdrawn so as not to be embedded in said tube for anotherportion of its extent; means arranged to cut said reinforcing threadWhere it emerges from said fabric, including a stationary shear member,a movable shear member, complementary to sald statlonary shear member, a

said needles.

shear lever carrying said movable shear member, and a spring engagingsaid shear lever, tending to effect shearing movement thereof; meansarranged to operate said shear lever, including a tappet cam, a tappetlever in operative .relation With said cam, and a spring normallytending to shift said tappet lever intooperative relation With saidtappet cam; means normally holding said tappet lever out of operativeposition,-

tion of its extent; means arranged to out said reinforcing thread Whereit emerges from said fabric, including a stationary shear member, amovable shear. member, compleand means arranged to operate said movableto be embedded in said tube for anoth r por mentary to said stationaryshear member,

shear member in definite relation tothe operation ofsaid needles andguides, including a tappet cam, a tappet lever in operative relationWithsaid cam, and a spring normally tending to shift said tappet leverinto operative relation with said tappet cam;means normally holding saidtappet lever out of operative position, including a slide bar; and meansarranged to operate said cam and bar in definite relation to theoperation of In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name atPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, this third day of July, 1914.

RAYMOND FISHER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES HARRISON, FRANK REUTHER.

